This invention relates to an electrical connector for use in electrically connecting a conductive terminal member to an electrical circuit which is formed on an electric circuit board.
Various electrical connectors of the type are already known. For example, an electrical connector is disclosed in JP-A-60-162,391 (Kokai or Publication of Unexamined Patent Application) by the same applicants of the present application. The electrical connector comprises an insulator housing and a contact member contained in the insulator housing. The contact member is formed from a thin conductive plate by press working and comprises a contact portion and a pin portion which are integral with one another. The contact portion is for making a contact with a conductive terminal member, such as of a pin form. The pin portion is for making a contact with an electrical circuit on an electric circuit board.
Generally, the electric circuit board is provided with a through hole for receiving the pin portion of the contact member. The through hole has a conductive member coated on an inner surface of the through hole. The conductive member is electrically connected to the electrical circuit.
The pin portion is slender and press fitted into the through hole to come into contact with conductive member. As a result, the contact member is supported by the electric circuit board and electrically connected to the electrical circuit through the conductive member.
When the pin portion is press fitted into the through hole, frictional force occurs between the pin portion and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. In this event, the pin portion is often bent by buckling due to the frictional force. The bent terminal does not insure a desired contact between the conductive terminal member and the contact portion.
In order to prevent the pin portion from such buckling, the pin portion is often made to have a reduced size in comparison with a diameter of the through hole. In this case, soldering is applied to fixedly connect the pin portion to the electrical circuit after the pin portion is loosely inserted in the through hole. In this event, the contact element is apt to incline in relation to a predetermined axis which is perpendicular to the electric circuit board. This is because a space is left between the pin portion and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole.
When the contact element is inclined, the contact portion is displaced from a predetermined position where a desired contact is obtained between the conductive terminal member and the contact portion. Accordingly, the desired contact cannot be portion.
In addition, the contact portion may be subjected to trouble in repetition of connection and disconnection with the conductive terminal member. However, since the contact member is fixedly secured to the electric circuit board by the soldering, the contact portion cannot be repaired after trouble occurs on the contact portion.